Michigan Football: An open letter to Jim Harbaugh (from Bo)

Everyone knows by now that Jim Harbaugh was a prime candidate for the Michigan coaching job when Lloyd Carr resigned in 2007.

He was also in the running for the Michigan job when Brady Hoke was hired in 2011, but he decided to accept the head coaching job of the San Francisco 49ers instead.

Everyone might not know it, but when he and his brother John (Baltimore Ravens head coach) were kids, they continuously terrorized legendary Michigan Wolverines coach Bo Schembechler at practice.

Jack Harbaugh was a Michigan assistant

They eventually became ball boys for the Wolverines, while their dad Jack was a Michigan assistant coach.

John went on to play college football at Miami (Ohio), while Jim became an outstanding quarterback for Schembechler at Michigan (1983-86).

Recently, through the help of Halloween’s special airwaves, Detroit Jock City intercepted this letter from the late Schembechler to his former quarterback, Jim Harbaugh.

Dear Jim,

First of all, your brother John isn’t going anywhere. He has his championship and Baltimore loves him.

You could be Michigan’s coach right now, but no, you had to jump for the big bucks in San Francisco.

Losing Rose Bowls

You know, it’s not so easy coaching at Michigan. Boy, that’s one fine mess they’re in now. Makes it hard to squirm in these tight quarters.

Some of the old timers are still bashing me for not being able to pass a lick and then losing all those Rose Bowls.

The thing that really irks me was how well you threw the football. Here I was, trying to convince 100,000 people that Michigan doesn’t throw the ball, and you’re on the sideline flipping it 65 yards in the air.

OK, you proved me wrong there. What were you? A 62 percent passer? Shoot, you lost your only Rose Bowl and they still almost gave you the Heisman.

NFL Quarterback

Come to think of it, remember how we dragged out your recruiting process? Your dad was an assistant at Stanford and we met at one of the all-star games.

Hate to admit it, but we made you grovel just a little.

Seriously, we’re really proud. Hanging in there for all those years with the Bears and Colts was really brave.

So your brother beat you in the Super Bowl a few years back. I bet he’s still getting under your skin. He was always one up on you back in the day, too.

No water

OK, so you’re mean, nasty and cruel–all the things I was. And I turned out all right, except the time Woody turned off the water in our hotel and I punched out an assistant one day at practice.

So I hear they’re already tired of you in SF. Heck with that. It’s so damp there my bones would chill me to, oh whatever.

Get your behind back here to Ann Arbor where everyone will love you for a day. And promise me one thing. Don’t say a word about smash-mouth football.

Trick or treat,

Bo

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